“Clausewitz, he pointed out that no matter how carefully one plans, on the battlefield, even the smallest of details can cause setbacks. Regardless of how well-thought it is, armchair strategizing only works in the realm of theory. Unexpected troubles, or uncontrollable factors such as weather. Operations face those sorts of troubles. They are the cause of strife on the battlefield.”
“A beautiful flower too will eventually wither and fall. That's the fate of all living beings. If that's the case, it's only natural for one to want to stop the time while they're still blossoming in all full glory.”
“Overall, I think people tend to reveal their true selves when they step into an avatar. As I said earlier, they probably feel some sense of freedom. But freedom easily gained quickly turns into a false sense of omnipotence.”
“Most people don’t mind killing cows and chickens but they’d probably have a hard time doing the same to chimpanzees. Partially, it’s because chimpanzees bear a slight resemblance to humans, but the primary reason is that they can draw pictures. Suppose fish were able to draw pictures. Even if we are unable to understand what they’re thinking, it becomes harder to kill animals that can draw. Instinctively, in our minds we would say to ourselves… “May be they have feelings” That shows how high a value we assign to expression.”
“Suppose someone said "humans are foolish"... Obviously, that person would be talking about themselves as well. If you want to understand human beings, you need to do more than just watch them. You need to pay attention to what they themselves are watching. What are you watching? You are the ones who I'm watching. It may be hard to believe, but I like you guys. You know what they say... The opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference. An indifferent person would lack the drive to kill or hurt. My mind keeps jumping around. Am I nervous...? Did I underestimate my enemy so much that I stepped in too deep...? ...What a silly thought.”
“The opposite of boredom is not pleasure... but excitement. People will gladly seek out any kind of excitement, even pain.”
“A perfect plan doesn't mean having everything go within expectations. A perfect plan is achieved when it has the plasticity needed to flexibly deal with troubles.”
“In order to measure a person’s worth, you must do more than push them. The real way to test their worth is to give them power. When they gain the freedom to act outside the boundaries of law and ethics, you can sometimes see their souls. When the weak become strong... When good citizens become free to engage in violence... I'm interested to see what is the outcome of that.”
“I just long for a world in which ordinary things are done in an ordinary way.”
“For some time researchers have understood that moderate stress has beneficial effects. It boosts the immune system for example. Stress motivates and prepares us for action. It compels our body to survive. However, routine psycho pass checks take away the stress from us. There are patients whose stress reaction is so numb, they can’t even recognize the basic stimulation of their senses. Once that happens, it’s a neurological downward spiral, they become like living corpses. Eventually their autonomic nervous system stops working and their vital functions shut down.”
“When a man faces fear, his soul is tested. What he was born to seek... what he was born to achieve... his true nature will become clear.”
“You disappointed me. So I have to give you a punishment. Regret your helplessness and feel despair.”
“What are humans’ desires? What I think the most troublesome desire is the desire for attention. It’s the source of jealousy and relationship problems, too.”
“You sure say some funny things. Solitude? Does that only apply to me? Who isn't alone in this society? The time when our connection to others was the basis of our selves is long gone. In this world where everyone is watched over by the system and live within the system's standards, a community isn't necessary. Everyone just lives in their own cell, and the system tames them by giving them each their own personal serenity.”
“I love this game that people call "life" from the bottom of my heart.”
“Why don't you buy paper books? E-books lack character.”
“I want to see the splendor of people's souls.”
“I think the only time people really have value is when they act according to their own will.”
“Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People no longer have need of others. You can always find a spare for any replacement. Any relationship can be replaced.”
“Books are not something that you just read words in. They're also a tool to adjust your senses.”
“Beautiful flowers, too, eventually wither and fall. That's the fate of all living beings.”
“You can play any character and yet in the end, you yourself are nobody. Your core personality is null. It's empty. That's how you could wear any mask all over your smooth, featureless face and have it fit perfectly.”
“An unforeseen situation... An unexpected turn of events... In the face of those, you too will face your true self.”
“I wonder what sort of criteria you use to divide people into good and evil.”
“Like God, you mean? That might be pleasurable in its own way, but unfortunately I'm not into being an umpire or a referee, as I can't genuinely enjoy the game unless I'm part of it. And I love this game that people call "life" from the bottom of my heart. That's why I'd like to continue to participate in it as a player, forever and ever.”
“Aging is quite similar to death. Some people stand up to aging and death as if it were nothing. They can do it not because they're braver than others, but simply because they lack imagination. Only once people deny that which they love, do they become able to create it anew. Perhaps, the book I write, too, will die one day just like my body will. However, people have to accept that death is unavoidable. They will probably be gone in ten years. Their books will no longer exist in a hundred years. People accept this. Eternity is promised neither to humans nor to books. We live because we were born. If the system possesses the power of life and death over you... you're no longer a human. You're livestock. No matter how hard a rancher tries to pretend otherwise, they never recognize their livestock as friends. It's a mystery to me... How is it that these people, treated as livestock in this boring society, have not tried at all to destroy it? Nothing in this world is eternal. The only thing that truly exists is the splendor of the souls that atone for their sins.”